Worth the Risk?
by T3hWh1t3P4nth3r
Summary: Dumbledore has a little chat with a student who is planning some pretty serious mischief in his sixth year: Draco Malfoy. Sort of follows books... Ish... This is sort of a prequel to "Not Important..."


Author's note: Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. He had been summoned to the headmaster's office. _'What if he knows?'_ he thought as he approached the griffin statue. He took in a deep breath. "Acid Pop." The statue sprang aside and revealed the staircase.

The door gave as a creak as he pushed it open. "You sent for me, headmaster?"

"Draco. Please, have a seat." He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. Draco picked the one that he felt was the furthest from the desk, though no one was any better than the others. The headmaster held out a small silver tin. "Lemon Drop?" he asked in his gentle voice.

The sixth year boy shook his head. "No thank you, sir." He tried to make his expression as realistically pleasant as he could, but, to be believable, that simply meant not smirking or sneering. If he were to smile, it would only make him seem guiltier. _'As if,'_ he thought. _'Everyone with any sense knows that you place a cheering charm on those damn sweets of yours…'_

Dumbledore simply shrugged and placed the tin on the corner of his desk. "I can see that you are anxious to know why you have been brought up here."

Draco leaned back in his chair, trying to act apathetic about the whole situation. "I wouldn't say 'anxious', professor. I am merely curious." This was a blatant lie as his fingers were fiddling with the cuff of his robes.

The headmaster smiled and nodded. "Of course…" He took a seat behind his desk. His tone took on a more serious nature as he gazed at the fair boy over his half moon spectacles. "Is everything all right, Draco?"

He couldn't help but be slightly confused. _'What's that supposed to mean? Nothing's ever just a simple question with him…'_ Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean, sir? I assure you that I am perfectly well…"

"I do not mean your health, Draco, though I am glad to hear that it is well." He leaned forward. Anyone less observant than the Slytherin would have missed it. "You haven't been pressured into anything lately, have you? No one has asked you to do anything that you don't want to do? No one has forced you into anything?"

_'Oh, Gods… He knows…' _Draco did his best to hide the panic from his eyes. He shook his head. "No, sir. Nothing like that…" He clenched his fists, knowing how clear the hesitation had been in his voice. He sighed. "What other choice do I have?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Draco." The headmaster stood from his chair and walked over to the blonde boy. "In this world, there are two kinds of men, and only two. There's the one staying put in his 'proper' place and the one with his foot in the other one's face." He put his hand on the pale boy's shoulder.

Draco just looked up into those ice blue eyes. "I'm sorry, sir… I don't think I entirely understand…"

"You don't have to do as they say, Draco. You've never been one to follow rules, so why start now?" Draco had to admit: the old man had a point.

"But he'll kill my whole family if I don't obey him…" He ran his hand through his platinum blonde hair, the frustration and stress getting to him. "I don't know what to do anymore…"

Dumbledore helped the boy from the seat and led him to the door. "I know you're frustrated and scared. That's human nature, after all. I will offer you an alternative: you can become a spy for us. I will see to it that you and your family are protected." He opened the door for the now wide-eyed Slytherin. "The choice is yours. Why don't you sleep on it, hmm?"

Draco walked down the corridors in a state of shock. "This is great…" he muttered, a small smile gracing his lips. "I don't have to do this anymore. I can just…" He looked down at his left arm. "But would he know? What if he finds out and kills my parents right then and there? Would it be worth the risk?" He thought on it as he walked toward his room. _'No,'_ he thought. _'There would be no point in accepting the headmaster's deal if it ended up getting my parents killed. I'll stick to the plan in place now. I'll finish mending the vanishing cabinet and… and carry out the task assigned to me by the Dark Lord…'_

"Draco!" Pansy cried when he walked into the common room. She swooped down on him and kissed him on the cheek, reaching for his tie.

He slipped from her grasp and went for the dorm room. "Not now, Pansy." He pinched the bridge of his nose, Dumbledore's words echoing in his head. "I've got a lot on my mind right now…"

Note: Ta-Da! The End!


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